Work In Progress By Leah

Toast to a great cause! On September 18, 2014, Visibility Arts will host “The Path to Independence: Finding Your Voice,” an art show featuring artists with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The art show will be held from 5 to 8pm at 824 Dempster Street in partnership with the first annual Chicago Dempster Charity Wine Walk. Fourteen artists, including four of our No Boundaries – Train for Work, Train for Life participants, will display their work while guests enjoy wine pours from Vinic Wine and hors d’oeuvres.

Visibility Arts is a comprehensive visual arts program that offers a combination of group learning experiences and hands-on studio time. Classes take place in a 7,000 square foot space in Mt. Prospect that includes fully equipped studio facilities and a spacious gallery for exhibitions. Visibility Arts is a program of Search, Inc., a community-based IRS 501(c)(3) nonprofit that serves more than 600 people and their families annually at locations stretching from the southwest side of Chicago to the northern suburbs of Waukegan and Mount Prospect. Search has provided high-quality services and supports for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities for 45 years.

“Visibility Arts is a program that develops supports, encourages, and enhances the amazing skills of artists with intellectual and developmental disabilities,” says Tina Zemen, Visibility Arts Manager at Search. “We access what is waiting to be shared with others.  The work, the focus, the time, and the result heightens not only the artists lives; but ours as well as we share and embrace their experience.  It is an honor and privilege to work with each one of our artists!”

The Chicago Dempster Charity Wine Walk’s suggested cash donation of $15 per person will benefit Search’s No Boundaries – Train for Work, Train forLife program as well as The Evanston Art Center. No Boundaries is an innovative, tuition-based program designed to help individuals with disabilities build workplace skills, obtain competitive employment, achieve personal and career goals, improve communication skills and participate more fully in the community.

“Many of the businesses on the Wine Walk are making great efforts to practice disability-aware customer service and they welcome No Boundaries participants to build their workplace and professional skills by helping out at the businesses,”  said JJ Hanley, Associate Director, Search, Inc.  “We hope to see a lot of folks out that evening to support these efforts.”

To learn more about the “Path to Independence: Finding Your Voice” art show, Visibility Arts, or Search, Inc. please contact Audrey Landale at alandale@keystonealliance.org or 773-305-0740 x55.

To find out more about the Chicago Dempster Charity Wine Walk or No Boundaries please contact Philister Sidigu at philister@jjslist.com or 847-869-0000 x27.